Consciousness

Reality is constructed by the brain, and no two brains are exactly alike

Philosopher Peter Carruthers insists that conscious thought, judgment and volition are illusions. They arise from processes of which we are forever unaware

Freud’s notion of a dark, libidinous unconscious is obsolete. A new theory holds that the brain produces a continuous stream of unconscious predictions

A machine learning algorithm uses EEG traces to find a patient’s odds of waking

A detailed picture of cell types in some areas of the mouse cortex is put to the test

Decoding the puzzle of human consciousness

Neurologist Steven Laureys looks for signs of consciousness in unresponsive patients

Zapping the brain with magnetic pulses while measuring its electrical activity is proving to be a reliable way to detect consciousness

In mouse experiments, scientists bring back the “critical period” of early in life, in which the ability to process sounds emerges

Becoming aware of your sleeping self could relieve anxiety or tap the creative unconscious

New research shows brain function associated with attention peaks during the summer and dips in winter